biography

Lisa Powell is an experienced trial lawyer who represents clients in disputes in all types of settings: state and federal courts; bankruptcy courts; and arbitral tribunals, both domestic and international. She also helps clients mitigate and avoid risk before formal disputes arise.

Lisa analyzes the unique circumstances of every dispute to devise a strategy which meets the business objectives of the client, whether through trial on the merits, early resolution of the matter or some other creative solution. Her broad-based experience in virtually all types of litigation allows her to bring a unique perspective to the matters she handles and gives her a wide range of tools to use. Lisa is committed to the cost-efficient delivery of high quality legal services through innovative and creative solutions.

  • Business Accomplishments
    • Executive Leadership — Developed and supervised teams of legal professionals defending more than 250 lawsuits involving in excess of 1000 separate independent claims of property damage leading to successful resolution for clients
    • Team Development — Coordinated three trial teams of professionals defending 200 claims of personal injury across the state of Texas leading to favorable settlement for client
    • Project Management — Managed liquidation of over $35 million of clients’ real and personal property utilizing creative methods for maximizing asset values
    • Risk Management — Created procedures to manage over 10,000 toxic tort cases and track data resulting in voluntary dismissal of over 12,000 individual claims
    • Revenue Collection — Secured and collected multi-millions of dollars for clients through judgments and negotiations
  • Professional Experience
    • Litigation — successful first chair trial experience in federal and state court
    • Bankruptcy — represented clients in all aspects of bankruptcy proceedings
    • Creditors’ Rights — reviewed and analyzed more than $2 billion of credit facility documentation and extensive experience with forbearance agreements and utilization of diverse procedures for debt collection
    • Contract Law — Negotiated contracts and litigated disputes under Texas and Delaware law
    • Corporate Law — Successful defense of officers and directors under Texas and Delaware law
    • Real Estate — Experience in a wide variety of real estate transactions and litigation
    • Energy — Significant experience with joint operating agreements
  • Arbitration
    • Certificate in 2007 in Advanced Arbitration Skills (Domestic and International), A. A. White Dispute Resolution Center at the University of Houston Law Center
    • Member of the American Arbitration Association panel of neutrals for commercial disputes
    • Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
    • Member, Institute for Transnational Arbitration Advisory Board
    • Member, Houston International Arbitration Club
  • Representative Matters
    • Westlake Styrene v. United States of America, et al. Obtained judgment in favor of client in interpleader action involving a lien dispute involving the I.R.S. and two lien creditors under Texas and Louisiana law.
    • In re Sonrisa Properties, Inc. Obtained confirmation of creditor’s plan of reorganization.
    • In re R&R Marine, Inc., et al. Successfully represented secured creditor with a $20+ million claim in a disputed chapter 7 trustee’s election, stay litigation, avoidance action involving millions of dollars of insurance claims, and a dispute involving a letter of credit.
    • In re Quality Infusion Successfully opposed the Debtor’s motion to dismiss the chapter 11 proceeding which in turn lead to the appointment of a chapter 11 trustee and the conversion of the case to chapter 7 proceeding.
    • In re Wade Offshore Successfully represented secured creditor with a lien on debtor’s working interests in gas wells on the outer continental shelf in case in which the chapter 7 trustee alleged that the operating agreement had been rejected.
    • In re Cedar Hill Petroleum Obtained confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan involving operator which had sustained a blowout of an oil and gas well and had numerous lien claims.
    • Johnson v. The Bank of Beverly Hills Obtained dismissal of an avoidance action brought by chapter 7 trustee against client in which the Bankruptcy Court found that action barred by res judicata from previous settlement.
    • Resilin S.A. v. National Expert Crating Company of Texas, Inc. Obtained defense verdict for client in case involving a claim of damage to equipment shipped to Venezuela.
      Griffin & Laser v. B.K. Witt, Inc. Obtained plaintiff’s jury verdict for client in breach of contract action.
    • Hillcroft Medical Assn. v. Cousins Obtained grant of conditional writ of mandamus for client.
    • Bilton v. United Cab Co. Inc., 987 S.W.2d 594 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist] 1997, no writ). Obtained summary judgment for client in wrongful death action affirmed on appeal.
    • Lennar Homes of Texas v. Sto Corp., et al. Obtained favorable settlement for client in a lawsuit with more than 40 parties involving claims based on products liability, negligence, fraud, D.T.P.A., breach of warranty and fraud claims with over $11 million in damages claimed to more than 1,000 homes.
    • Belcheff v. Sto Corp. Obtained order granting a Daubert/Robinson motion striking plaintiff’s expert in a products liability, negligence, breach of warranty, D.T.P.A., and fraud case in Tarrant County, Texas with case settling thereafter.
    • Faith United Methodist Church v. McCombs Construction Company, Inc. Obtained favorable settlement for client in construction defect case in Travis County involving over 14 parties and allegations of mold contamination.
    • In re SwanTransportation. Served as special counsel in Delaware chapter 11 proceeding after acting as coordinating counsel for 200 lawsuits filed across the state of Texas against a foundry based upon alleged silica and asbestos exposure.
    • Confidential. Represented a party in an international arbitration involving energy dispute
  • Publications

    Products Liability and the First Amendment: The Liability of Publishers for Failure to Warn, 59 Indiana Law Journal 503, republished in 9 Journal of Products Liability 159 and cited in 19 publications

  • Community
    • Indiana University Mauer School of Law Alumni Board, Member, 2009-Present, Vice President, 2017
    • Turnaround Management Association, Houston Chapter Board Member, 2014-Present
    • Co-Chair of the Houston Network of Women, 2014-Present
    • Houston Bar Foundation, Continuing Life Fellow
    • Moller-Foltz American Inn of Court
    • Texas Bar Foundation, Sustaining Life Fellow
    • Texas General Counsel Forum, Board Member, 2007-2017

 

 

Houston

Credentials

Admissions

Texas

Education

Indiana University Mauer School of Law, JD cum laude, 1984
Indiana University, A.B., 1981
Visiting student, Harlaxton College, Harlaxton England, Dean’s List

Prior Law Firm Experience

Jackson Walker

Practice Areas